Study on variability mechanisms of quasar activity

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K05020
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: Shinshu University
• Principal Investigator: Misawa Toru 信州大学, 学術研究院総合人間科学系, 准教授 (60513447)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: AGNアウトフロー / クェーサー吸収線

Outline of Final Research Achievements

AGN outflow wind, a gas stream from the accretion disk of quasar central engines that are accelerated by radiation pressure, shows time variability, although its origin is not clearly understood. We verified one of the most plausible scenarios for the variability (variability ionization scenario; VIS) through unique observations. Our observations suggest a) variability pattern in outflow wind and quasar luminosity are synchronized and b) an outflow wind has the internal structure whose physical scale is smaller than separation distance between sightlines of two lensed images of quasars. These results support the VIS scenario with a self-shielding effect as an additional mechanism, although the gas motion of outflow wind could partially contribute to the change of outflow wind.

Free Research Field

数物系科学